s n a P s h ot s u rv e y
technology SeemS to Be evolvIng fASter And fASter, and so the
June 2019 Snapshot Survey zeroed in on technology usage throughout the spa
industry. This topic was last broached in February of 2018.
83 percent of all spa respondents utilize email confirmations and
reminders, and usage was high among both day spas and hotel/resort spas.
However, while 80 percent of day spa respondents utilize text confirmations,
only 31 percent of hotel/resort respondents do. A surprising 11 percent of
hotel/resort spas indicated they do not use any digital confirmations, iPads,
What tech-related
change has had
the greatest
impact on your
spa?
tablets, mobile apps, or online booking and retail systems whatsoever, nor do
they allow guests to choose music or provide guests with charging stations.
For guests, 28 percent of spas prohibited cell phone use in all areas of the
spa; this number was slightly higher among day spas than hotel/resort spas.
Accordingly, hotel/resort spas were more likely to prohibit cell phone use only
in certain areas, with 60 percent indicating that they do this. 40 percent of
hotel/resort spas permit non-verbal use of cellphones, while only 21 percent of
day spa respondents allow it.
Among all spa respondents, 36 percent agreed that guests were frequently
frustrated by technology restrictions in the spa. However, only 11 percent
“Confirmation emails.
It is so much quicker and
most people tend to use
email or text now. Often
people do not answer
the phone or check their
voicemails.”
indicated that guests do not appreciate these restrictions—a disparity that’s
indicative of spa-goers’ complex relationships with technology.
On the employee side, 81 percent of spa respondents had a formal
technology policy for employees, while only 20 percent of resource partners
could say the same. Resource partners were laxer with technology usage in
general: 46 percent of respondents allow talking on cell phones for personal
matters, and 54 percent allow some degree of personal texting. n
“Dedicated cell phone for
the spa allowing us to
check on all the different
areas of the pool, spa
and fitness areas.”
“Sonos for wireless
music selection.”
“Tablet for remote
off-site group bookings.”
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PULSE
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SEPtEmbEr 2019